Fall of Mako Island
by damedepiques
Summary: The girls' new found life on land is brutally disrupted as they receive horrid news about the decimation of their former pod by an attacker whose reasons, as well as identity, are a mystery. With Lyla choosing the wrong side in the upcoming war, the remaining group is faced with a new dilemma: they can't defeat their enemy without killing their friend. (full synopsis in the story)
1. Synopsis

My second attempt at a Mako Mermaids fan-fiction. My first, "Welcome To The New Age", is currently on hold as i'm deciding what to do with it. As i was brainstorming i got this new idea that i didn't quite know how to fit in so i thought, why not turn it into a separate story?

xxxxx

Synopsis (the action takes place about four months after the events of the final episode):

After failing their task to strip Zac of his merman powers, the three mermaids finally come to terms with the fact that their stay on land has been extended indefinitely. Maybe even for good. Yet somehow the idea sound less appalling that it did at the start of their mission. While Sirena and Nixie seem to fit quite well into their new home world, Lyla is still having trouble adjusting. High school drama, cat(fish) fights, boy trouble and a lot of throttling follows as their friendship is being put to the test.

Meanwhile their old pod is under attack by an unknown enemy seeking out the successor of the mermaid queen Ceres. A battle commences in the depths of the ocean that results in the decimation of the Mako pod. The few survivors that remain scatter throughout the Pacific. Among them is Sirena's older sister, Aquata, who, having nowhere else to go, returns to the island and is taken in by Miss Santos.

Exasperated that even she seems to fit in better, despite acting more like a fish than a human, Lyla leaves home to clear her mind and is captured and tortured by the same people who murdered her pod mates. With her will broken and personality erased she is now reduced to nothing but a means to recover the trident's moonstone and help rebuild the weapon which will bring about the destruction of a civilization.

The group is faced with a new dilemma: they can't stop their enemy without killing their friend. Choices need to be made and lives need to be lost.

xxxxx

So that's the basic outline! There's more to the story, but i don't want to disclose everything at once, it spoils all the fun. This will be rated from K+ to T and to M (for explicit violence and sexual content later on). I'm taking a more mature approach on this one in some chapters. Since M rated stories don't show up for me unless i use filters this will be put under T.


	2. Chapter One

**A.N:** Quick warning: Bit gory, i guess. So if you're not a fan, might want to skip past it.  
New characters introduced in this chapter:  
- **Nora** - Nixie's sister and a day guard of the Mako pod. Also a future key character of the story. More on her will be revealed throughout the fanfic.

* * *

Her Moon Ring was undoubtedly the most cherished possession of a mermaid. It took a great deal for one to give up the precious piece of jewelry so to find one simply lying around the ocean floor was surprising to say the least. Perhaps a novice had let it out of sight? Nonetheless the owner needed to answer for her mistake.

A pair of blue-green eyes scanned the surroundings of the reef, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gem's owner. But she was nowhere in sight. Not one to give up so easily, the young mermaid guard glided through the opening between two large corals to do a thorough sweep of the other side before returning to her pod to report that day's incidents. What was waiting for her on the other side would make anyone's blood freeze in the veins.

Only three meters away a scene taken from mermaids' worst nightmares was unfolding: impaled onto a piece of sharp stone rested the mangled body of a night guard, most likely the owner of the ring since her index left finger was missing. With her face almost bloated it was hard to say for sure who she had been.

The most captivating and especially frightening feature were the eyes: wide open and completely drained of color, glassy as a piece of polished shell. You didn't have to get close to see the terror and hopelessness inside them, they were present even in the water surrounding the body, enough to drive any living being away from the cliff. Not even sharks dared approach the stone, despite the strands of blood still staining the blue of the ocean.

Her mouth was half open suggesting she had meant to scream for help but that never came to be as he attacker had a firm grip on her throat in probably seconds, snapping it with ease as if it were a twig carried by the tide. The large bruises circling her neck stood as proof. White as a bleached coral, she must have been in the water for some time before Nora had stumbled upon her, perhaps the whole night.

Unable to take in more of the sickening scenery, the dark haired mermaid squeezed her eyes shut. Having lost the remaining supply of oxygen in her lungs through a silent scream of panic, she now used all her energy to swim to the surface. Only when her head was above the surface, gasping for much needed air, did she realize she had been squeezing the ring in her hand so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Her mind was being constantly flooded with glimpses of the savage sight, despite countless efforts to block them. Under no circumstances could she leave her poor pod make like that but nor was she capable to return her to their sisters by herself. Physically she could, but mentally she was finished. With a quick flick of her tail she disappeared back under the water, darting in the direction of where her pod had made their new home.

* * *

An isolated incident? Really? They must have been mad! Nora thought as she lay on her back in the waters of the cave she and her friend Emery shared. That poor guard had been reduced to nothing but a pile of bloody flesh and scales, mangled beyond recognition, and the council called it a shark attack? Since when do sharks take their time to torture and impale their victims? And now they're into Moon Rings as well?

After presenting the case to the council they had kicked her out of their chambers on the premise that they needed time to reflect upon the incident. Two more day guards, with higher ranks, were sent to recover the body from the cliffs. When it was returned it was sent straight to the council room and nobody was allowed to lay eyes on it. But they missed one thing: her ring. It still lay hidden in a shell inside Nora's cave.

When the council asked for it, the dark haired mermaid shrugged her shoulders saying she had no idea of its whereabouts. It seemed to worry the women but that was a good thing. Maybe now that they believed someone dangerous had a Moon Ring they'd be more willing to tell the truth. Yet they stuck by their shark attack story, much to Nora's disappointment. Kicking her tail around in the water, distracted by the incident, she didn't even notice a head popping out of the water.

"Nora!" A soft yet authoritative voice called out right before a small wave brushed across her face. Blinking in shock she prepared to strike back only to see Aquata looking back at her with a look more amused than worried. "I mean you no harm." The blonde raised her arms above the water, proof she had no intention of splashing her pod mate once again. "I'm just checking to see how you're doing."

"There's something out there, isn't it?" Not one to beat around the bush over important matters, Nora decided it was best she simply fired the question. As Aquata opened her mouth to speak, the other interrupted her. "Don't lie." Now her tone was authoritative and somewhat threatening, despite resenting the idea of using violence, even verbally. "I'm sick of being lied to. You owe me at least that."

Aquata closed her mouth as quickly as she had opened it, looking like a fish gasping for air as she struggled between following orders and being honest with her friend. "Very well." The pause between sentences, only a few seconds long, seemed like a lifetime. But the explanation was worth it. "This is how it started one thousand years ago, with mermaids going missing. Soon it was discovered they were all members of the five clans. Just like Hanna was." Again a long pause that caused a rise in Nora's pulse. Right all along!

"It might be a coincidence though, but i highly doubt it. And so does the council." Aquata went on speaking. "They have sent word already, through the dolphins, to the other two pods harboring members of the five. I do hope they make it! And i do hope that for once, the council is mistaken. If they are not then i fear for us all. Thetis keep us..."

With that she disappeared under the surface of the water, most likely to let the salt water mask the tears forming in her eyes. Her mind was definitely on Sirena, her younger sister, who had been left behind on Mako, the very heart of all this misfortune and destruction. And for a moment, Nora could feel her heart race as her own mind flew back to the damned island.

"Nix...I sincerely hope you're safe." For the first time in nineteen years Nora closed her eyes and said the three words she thought she'd never have to say. "Thetis keep us."

* * *

**A.N:** So, this was the prologue! Now onto Chapter One!  
Disambiguation:  
- **Thetis** - Is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus (courtesy of Wikipedia). I thought since Poseidon most likely resembled a merman then mermaids would not hold him a a deity after the war one thousand years ago. Hope it makes sense.


	3. Chapter Two

With one disturbingly loud blow of the whistle came the end of that day's practice session. And not a moment too soon, Lyla thought as she bent forward, resting her palms on her knees, panting heavily. Two more minutes and everyone present on the field would have been introduced to her breakfast shrimps. Why on Earth did she let Nixie drag her into this mess in the first place?

"I'm just saying, it would be good for her to try out for the team. We've been here three months and she still has no other friends." Those two dreadful sentences landed Lyla smack into a very uncomfortable situation. Nixie just had a way of saying the wrong thing at the absolute worst of times.

"I have friends, Nixie." Lyla shot back in a glacial tone, her eyes not leaving the worn pages of "Treasure Planet". "Stay out of my life."

"We're not talking about imaginary friends here Lyla." The brunette mermaid spoke, giving the book a nudge only to irritate her friend even more. Counting to ten in her mind, the older mermaid tried to keep her cool as she recovered it from the grotto floor.

"Oh, imaginary? Like your relationship with Cam?" Lyla muttered, her eyes still glued to the pages.

"At least i'm not trying to steal someone's boyfriend. Unlike other people." Nixie spat back with her usual dose of sarcasm, yet sounding a little more hurt than she had intended. On a brighter note, that had had to strike a pretty sensitive chord inside of Lyla.

"Cut it out you two!" Before the blonde could bark an answer, which would have most likely been a bitter insult, Rita stepped into the argument. "You know, that's not such a bad idea Lyla. A team sport would help you meet some new people, make some connections,..." What followed was all turned into 'blah blah blah' as it reached Lyla's ears. All her attention and remaining patience were channeled into keeping her eyes focused on the book rather than ways of wiping off the triumphant grin off Nixie's mug.

Despite her endless pleas, two weeks later Lyla found herself face to face with the soccer goal on Sun Coast High's practice field, trying not to strangle the coach who was blowing the whistle uncomfortably close to her ear while barking orders at the twenty other girls lined up on the grass. How she had made the team was a mystery. During tryouts she barely scored two points, one by mere fluke: she was actually aiming for the goalie's head but the girl ducked on time. The other she had planted in the goal using her powers, tired of the coach's yelled encouragements.

Nixie on the other hand looked as if she had been born kicking a ball, despite not having legs for almost seventeen years. She was skipping past the defenders with ease and shooting goal after goal as if there was nobody guarding the trawl (that's what the soccer goal reminded her of). How in the world did she learn that was the second mystery Lyla would never solve. Needless to say she made first striker, apparently a pretty important position on the team since the boys made such a fuss about it when she came home gloating.

Lyla made "libero". For her that was just another thing to look up the internet when she got home. Turned out she was just an extra barrier between the Sun Coast defenders and the opposing team's attackers. Or as Cam put it when he thought there was nobody around but him and Nixie: a drawback. So the only thing she'd be left with at the end of the game were some ugly ass bruises and glares from the teammates. How again was that fun? Humans made no sense, just like the game itself: stick a ball into a net, very educational.

"Straighten up, Santos." Lyla could have sworn their coach used to be a man, her voice was far too hoarse to belong to a woman. "It's your turn to gather the gear. Your sister said she'll help."

"She's my_ cousin_." Lyla spat out through her teeth, trying not to add an 'you idiot' at the end of that sentence. Thetis, that woman was thick! In order for Rita to sign them up at Sun Coast High they needed to establish family connections first. Two out of three could be sisters, but one needed to be either adopted or a cousin. In Rita's file there were only two siblings stated, based on the two sisters she left behind when she was cast out.

Obviously Sirena and Nixie, who were thick as thieves even before this whole mess had started, called sisters practically at the same time. Even though Lyla and Sirena passed for it better. Not that she minded anyway, unlike the two of them she had nobody back with the pod so she didn't miss anything. Adopted seemed too big a headache so she just muttered a 'cousin' before shrugging her shoulders and marching out of the grotto, living Rita hanging with an unfinished sentence. From then on she didn't really care what happened.

"A'right. Make sure you grab the nets. Storm's coming, i'd hate to see 'em tore. Hustle up Santos!" With that she disappeared into the building, most likely heading into her office for a doughnut. She hates me, Lyla thought as she picked up a soccer ball, throwing it into a container like it had bitten her hand. Everyone else on the team got a nickname, or at least got to be called by their first name, only she was Santos, and it wasn't even her name.

"Heads down!" Three seconds too late. By the time Lyla could raise her arms to divert it the loose soccer ball had already hit its mark. In this particular case the bullseye was on Lyla's left thigh, a few centimeters above the knee. Loosing her balance, the blonde mermaid stumbled onto the ground, also hitting her elbow on the way down.

"You did that on purpose!" When the initial shock caused by the unwanted situation wore off, the blonde diverted her glare from the injured leg to the other mermaid standing a few meters away. She was obviously anything but pleased to see her.

"Did not! Why would i bother _warning_ you if i _wanted_ to whack you with a ball? I'd just do it!" It took Nixie less than a minute to skip at her friend's side, extending an arm to help her get back on her feet. All she got in response was an ice cold glare.

"Maybe because you _like_ making me feel like an idiot." Slapping Nixie's hand away, Lyla used the side of the container as support to hoist herself up. The spot where the ball had hit her was sore and made moving difficult but she was determined not to let it show. "I don't need your help. Leave me alone."

"Do not." Nixie muttered back, her tone flat. Okay, maybe she did enjoy making Lyla feel uncomfortable a little too much sometimes. And everyone knew it so denial was a bit purposeless here. But one thing she'd never do was injure a friend to prove a point. Lyla had to know better. Her hand reached out in a second attempt at helping the other mermaid make her way to the bench but once again it was shot down with an icy, irritated glare.

"You know what? Have it your way!" Finally fed up with Lyla's recent stick in the mud attitude, the brunette mermaid raised her hands in a surrendering gesture before turning on her heel and heading back towards the school. "See ya at dinner Squidward! Supposing you're done by then."

However Lyla had no intention of cleaning up the play field all by herself. Not now, not ever. It's not like she had ever enjoyed the sport so she didn't really give a crap about the equipment. Forcing herself to her feet, she focused all her attention on the departing girl. How she wished she could whack her back. Right as the picture of Nixie showered in soccer balls was unfolding in Lyla's mind, the sprinkle system decided to get a mind of its own.

Millions of water droplets covered the grass from every direction, making it harder to escape than a fishing net. Nixie could only flap her tail hopelessly, waiting for the fifteen seconds pause between rounds. But until then she had to face three straight minutes of downpour. Every fiber in Lyla's body was screaming 'do something or you risk exposure'. Yet she did nothing but sit on the dry pavement, trying in vain to hide a smirk.

"See you at dinner SpongeBob! Supposing you're done by then." The blonde mimicked Nixie's mocking tone from a few moments ago as she made her way to the locker rooms, ignoring the other's calls.

xxxxxx

Sirena was the whole reason Sun Coast High now had a choir. Much to almost nobody's sorrow, the musical program was on the brink of the grave until one day the music teacher heard Sirena singing some Taylor Swift song on lunch break. Immediately she was dragged into Rita's office and after a couple hours of incessant whining from Miss Cartwright, Rita resuscitated the dying program and made it into an a capella group. Whatever that was. Now Sirena was number one in the school's pop charts! Not to mention everyone loved her hand made jewelry and the simple fact that she was in a room.

Out of all thee mermaids, she was clearly the one to fit in best. After only two days of being the new kid she already had a seat at the cheerleaders table. Now all of them were in the locker room, circled around Sirena like sharks around a meal, fawning over her newest model bracelet. It was like a competition of who made the most elaborated and kiss ass compliment in order to get her hands on the piece. Sirena seemed quite uncomfortable, yet she kept her smile on at all times while trying to keep the girls from fighting. Good thing Evie was there to help.

Just as she was about to open her mouth and invalidate one of Gail West's remarks about the pearls on the bracelet, a hand wrapped around hers, forcing her to her feet.

"Excuse me!" Immediately she recognized Lyla's irritated tone. What had Nixie done now? To her left someone whimpered in complain, mumbling a silent insult. So Evie was also being dragged into the hallway. This had to be good, since Lyla never really spoke to Evie unless the circumstances forced them to interact. Obviously because of Zac, but being a guy he was naturally oblivious to everything. He was just happy he had made peace with Cam after three and a half months of awkward encounters when failing to avoiding each other.

"What?" Evie took the question right of Sirena's lips. When Lyla finally let their arms go, two pairs of eyes stared back at her with curiosity (an a dose of annoyance on Evie's part).

"Nixie's gonna need a hand on the field. She had a fight with the sprinklers. They won." Was all the blonde said before strutting out of the locker room, trying to mask how much she was enjoying this situation having turned to bite Nixie.

"Lyla!" But Sirena's call came unanswered as Lyla had already made her way into the main hallway, away from sight. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the mermaid turned towards Evie. "Go get the boys. I'll make sure Nixie's fine."

What had gotten into Lyla lately? Sirena thought as she pushed open the door which led to the soccer field. Normally she wasn't one to rat on her friends, but this would go to Rita. She'd know how to handle it. Bracing herself for a possible wet welcome, Sirena slipped through the doors, ready to take on any loose water droplets. Hopefully Evie won't take too long!

* * *

**A.N:** Ok, hope you liked this chapter! I know, not very action packed, but i'm playing out the growing group drama first so bear with me here.  
Reviews and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged, even negative ones. They only help me improve.


End file.
